Assam welcomes spring with Rongali Bihu celebrations; marking New Year, agricultural season

Assam is celebrating its biggest and most important festival - Rongali Bihu, also known as Bohag Bihu, with great joy and enthusiasm. The festival marks the Assamese New Year and the arrival of spring.

Shops across the state are adorned with traditional items like food, Gamosas, Bihu clothes, dhools, pepa, and Assamese Japis, while people observed the day with traditional rituals and devotion. The day is dedicated to livestock, where cows and bulls are washed, decorated, and worshipped as a mark of respect.

Rongali Bihu marks the onset of the agricultural season and is celebrated with great enthusiasm. It is a multi-day festival that typically spans seven days, each day known as 'Xaat Bihu.' The week-long celebration begins with Goru Bihu and includes music, dance, traditional food, and visits to relatives, reflecting the rich culture and spirit of unity in Assam.

Speaking to ANI, a local, Vipul Sharma, said, "Vaishakh Bihu is the biggest festival for us in Assam. It is celebrated for three to four days. On the first day, called Goru Bihu, we wash and worship the cows using turmeric and black gram paste. After that, everyone in the family takes a bath and applies turmeric. We also show respect to our elders and eat traditional food like pitha and curd. People visit relatives and enjoy the celebrations together."

"At night, there are Bihu functions and fairs where everyone comes together to celebrate. My preparations are going well. My daughter lives in Canada, and it's just me and my wife at home. I also have relatives in Naugaon village, so I'll visit them too. This year, the market seems a bit quiet, but I think the excitement will pick up slowly. Everyone will celebrate in their own way," Sharma added.

On the first day of Rongali Bihu, known as Goru Bihu, cattle are washed and smeared with a paste made of fresh turmeric, black lentils, and other ingredients.

And people sing traditional songs to the animals, like, "Lao kha, bengena kha, bosore bosore barhi ja, maar xoru, baper xoru, toi hobi bor bor goru" - which translates to, "Eat gourd, eat brinjal, grow year by year, your mother is small, your father is small, but you will become a large, strong cow."

On this day, the people of Assam also worship the cattle, showing their respect and gratitude for the animals that are important for farming and daily life.

The Bihu celebration committees in Guwahati and other parts of the state have been organizing week-long Rongali Bihu programmes.

The Assam government has provided financial assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh to each of the 2,241 Bihu Committees across the state to celebrate the Rongali Bihu festival.